Regional ethnic politics and national political transitions : the Dayaks of West Kalimantan

When the Indonesian New Order regime fell in 1998, regional politics with strong ethnic content resurged across the country. This trend of local politics was enhanced by the promulgation of the Decentralisation Law in 1999 which transferred greater autonomy to the regions. Since the fall of the New Order, West Kalimantan has experienced strong ethnic politics, particularly relating to the Dayaks. Strong Dayak politics in West Kalimantan after the fall of the New Order was not unprecedented. After centuries of occupying a subordinate place in the political and social hierarchy under the nominal rule of the Malay sultanates, Dayaks had begun an enthusiastic political emancipation movement in 1945. It was quite successful and led to the installation of some Dayak elite in the executive council in the provincial and district (kabupaten) governments. Dayaks had an insignificant political role at the provincial level in the early 1950s as a result of their support of the pro-Dutch DIKB. However, when the Partai Dayak, the only Dayak political party, contested the general election in 1955 and the local elections in 1958, it was able to obtain a significant number of votes. Very soon after the election in 1958, four Dayaks were elected as district heads (bupati) and one as governor of the province. The Dayak leadership was replaced after the coming of the New Order because of their association with the leftist Partindo. The Dayaks did not regain their pre-1965 political status until after the regime change in 1998, when Soeharto was forced to resign. This thesis examines the determinants of ethnic politics through an analysis of the case of the Dayaks of West Kalimantan. It asks how and why Dayak politics have experienced drastic changes since 1945. This thesis argues that the oscillations of Dayak politics have been determined largely by events outside the control of Dayak elites, particularly changes in the regime and policies in Jakarta. Some changes restricted Dayak opportunities for political participation, while other changes opened up opportunities. Marginalisation, which has been a strong propeller for ethnic movements elsewhere, has been particularly important in the case of the Dayaks of West Kalimantan. When the opportunities have arisen, the Dayaks have used the issue of marginalisation to pursue their ethnic goals, both in politics and in other sectors. Ethnic identity formation has also determined the course of Dayak politics, particularly during the 1940s and 1950s. Finally, this study finds that the resurgence of Dayak politics after the fall of the New Order was also influenced by the two massive ethnic conflicts in 1997 and 1999. The causes of these and other previous conflicts involving the Madurese were non-political. This thesis finds that historical, cultural, ethnic geographical factors as well as Dayak marginalisation are the most important underlying causes for conflict